Young, Granderson, Colon lead Mets over Cards 4-1

Thursday

Apr 24, 2014 at 3:23 PMApr 24, 2014 at 9:01 PM

By Ronald BlumThe Associated Press

NEW YORK — Chris Young homered to start New York’s comeback and slumping Curtis Granderson singled in a run as a pinch hitter as Bartolo Colon and the Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 Thursday to send Lance Lynn to his first career loss in April.

Colon (2-3) allowed four hits in seven innings, struck out eight and walked none. Carlos Torres and Scott Rice split the eighth, and Daisuke Matsuzaka finished the four-hitter with a perfect ninth for his first save since 2000 with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Pacific League.

New York took three of four from the defending NL champions and has won four of five overall.

St. Louis lost for the sixth time in nine games and has gone 291 at-bats without a home runs since Allen Craig connected at Milwaukee off Wily Peralta on April 16.

Lynn (4-1) had been 12-0 through April in his big league career, including one March victory. But given a fifth-inning lead, he allowed the Mets to tie the score in the bottom half.

New York went ahead in the sixth on Daniel Murphy’s RBI double, and Lynn was chased in a two-run sixth. Lynn struck out nine in 6 1/3 innings and allowed four hits and three runs — one of them unearned because of his own throwing error.

With hitters on both teams complaining about plate umpire Alan Porter’s wide strike zone on a blustery afternoon, New York batters struck out 10 times, raising their total to 213 and passing Miami (203) for the major league lead.

St. Louis and New York both rested slumping stars who signed as free agents. Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta is in an 0-for-21 slide that’s dropped his batting average to .151, and Granderson entered with a .125 average and 25 strikeouts in 72 at-bats.

Playing a day game after a night game, the Cardinals started catcher Tony Cruz instead of All-Star Yadier Molina. Cruz has made three starts this year — all games pitched by Lynn, his old minor league teammate.

New York gave right fielder Bobby Abreu hit first big league start since July 25, 2012, and Abreu went 1 for 3 with an opposite-field double to left in the fifth — his first hit with the Mets.

St. Louis went ahead in the fifth when Kolten Wong singled with two outs and Cruz lined a ball to left-center. Young sprinted over from center and couldn’t prevent the ball from bouncing between his legs for a double.

Young’s first home run with the Mets, on a 91 mph fastball, tied the score in the bottom half, a drive into the second deck in left field.

New York then took the lead in the sixth. Eric Young Jr. bunted, and Lynn’s offline throw went off the glove of first baseman Matt Adams and into right field for a two-base error. Murphy lofted the next pitch into short center, and the ball bounced in front Jon Jay and bounded past him for an RBI double.

Granderson had been 2 for 20 against left-handers this year before he batted for Colon in the seventh and greeted Kevin Siegrist with an RBI single. Young Jr. tripled later in the inning and scored on Murphy’s single.

NOTES: Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright threw a bullpen session and said his right knee feels good enough to allow him to make his next scheduled start Sunday against Pittsburgh. He stretched his scoreless streak to 17 innings Tuesday but left a 3-0 win over the New York Mets after hyperextending the right knee while lunging for Chris Young’s flare between the mound and first base.